2nd Chemo Tomorrow

It's been two weeks since my first chemo injection and I get the second one tomorrow.  I'm counting them off until I'm done all eight. 

First, I should share how the first chemo went.

I get my chemo at the Ottawa General Hospital Cancer Clinic.  Thankfully, this wing is really nice and only about three years old.  I like new, especially when getting depressing cancer treatment.

What my routine consists of is an injection of chemicals for 48 hours every two weeks.  It starts off at the hospital where I get the first series of chemicals over 3 hours and then they hook up the last chemical to a bottle on my hip and it's piped into my PICC line in my arm and they send me home.  46 hours later, the bottle is empty and a nurse comes to my house to remove the bottle, flush the line and change my dressing.  A week later, another nurse comes to the house to change my dressing in the PICC line.  I hadn't realized I'd need a second visit a week later so Erinn will learn how to change that dressing and flush the line so we can actually go to the cottage for more than just Saturday and Sunday every two weeks.  My littany of medical appointments and nurse home visits (3 times per week) is really cramping my style.  I've been trying to be positive and make lemonade out of these lemons I've been dealt so I was hoping to enjoy cottage time every second week but we're still figuring out how to make it more than just four days a month.  And goddamned weekends at that.  I had a glimmer of hope of going Saturday to Monday in two weeks but I'm unable to change a doctor's appointment I have on the Monday.

Oh yeah, two weeks ago, after climbing the two flights of stairs for my chemo treatment, I was in the lazy-boy for my injections and my pulse was only 42.  Weird.  Sometimes, if I'm relaxed I can lower my pulse to 50 but I think I'm normally around 60.  The nurse was also concerned with my blood pressure but it's normally 100/60 so she ignored the warning bells on the machine for my heartbeat.  Erinn, on the other hand, was worried I might croak right there.

Chemo Process:

Here I am with my chemo bottle on my
hip.  It stays there for 48 hrs.  After my
PICC line insertion, I worked up the
courage to sit in a barber's chair.  It actually
went well and I'm sitting a lot more now.
185 lbs and ready for hair loss!

The first pills I take are anti-nausea pills.  One in the morning, one at night for three days.  They are compulsory.  Then I take steroid pills.  Then they inject me with leucovorin which is used to increase the activity of the 5-fluorouracil (5FU).  It only has a few side effects of seizures and fainting with rash and swollen face/lip/tongue/throat.  Not so bad.

Next is oxaliplatin which is another chemo drug specific to colorectal cancer.  The main drug is 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) which starts injection in the hospital through the bottle hook-up and then I'm free to go home.   Between the ox and the 5-FU there are ten pages of potential side effects, some of which I went through last week.

When I was getting my first injection they gave me the literature on the drugs and a pair of work gloves.  The gloves were for reaching into the fridge at home.  What??  One of the side effects is a severe sensitivity to cold items.  I cannot touch or drink anything that is not lukewarm or warmer.  It kicked in within an hour of my first injections.  I went to the washroom in the hospital dragging my IV pole with me and I got an electric shock from the hot water tap when I washed my hands.  I had to let the water warm up before I washed as it was a strong pins and needles in my hands.  From that I learned not to put my lips on anything cold and Erinn removed things from the fridge for me while I waited for them to warm up before I drank or ate.  We've learned to leave a small bowl of fruit on the counter for me so it can be room temperature.  Thankfully, this side effect disappeared on day 7 so I celebrated by eating ice cream.

I also have a severe skin sensitivity to sunlight.  Combined with the lowered immune system and mouth sores, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and poor appetite, I should be able to lose another five pounds without too much trouble.  I haven't experienced mouth sores but my lips are chapped like crazy.  I'm not even in the sun but I've gone through all my chapstick at home.  Time to buy more.

And, right before my next chemo, my left fingers are still pins and needles from my last injection.  I don't think that'll get better by tonight and it'll certainly get worse tomorrow.

Tomorrow's chemo will be easier.  Erinn can stay at home and I'll bus it into the hospital then call for a ride home. 

I can't wait to end this!!